Texas Beer Fest preview (and pre-party)

I met Jake Lewis and Clif Wigington for a beer last night at the Public House over on Washin … er, White Oak. That makes sense, since they are the organizers gearing up for their second Texas Beer Fest and would like some help in spreading the word about their event (April 28 at Discovery Green downtown) and about craft beer in general.

Here’s the thing, though: Lewis moved to Minnesota last summer, but he didn’t want to not be part of this well-done celebration of our favorite beverage. He and Wigington, an erudite player of the bagpipes and ubiquitous presence around town wherever fine ales are served, exemplify the passion and commitment that have helped fuel the craft-beer boom in Houston.

Their first Texas Beer Fest last year drew nearly 1,500 people to a special-events center in Humble and was a great example of how these things should be handled. I confess to having been a little skeptical about the location, but it was a snap to get there and proved an excellent venue for showcasing craft beers in a relaxed setting absent an unruly mob of people more interested in getting drunk than trying and appreciating truly good beers.

Still, I can’t fault Wigington and Lewis for shelling out extra this year to get downtown. That will no doubt encourage more people to come (although, as the organizers point out, they are limiting ticket sales to 5,000 to avoid uncomfortable crowds and the risk of running short on popular beers). Discovery Green should be an excellent showcase and perhaps even a good combo for iFest fans that day looking for a better variety in beer offerings.

They say they are putting a a few lessons last year to work this year. For example, they started rounding up volunteers earlier and shaved two hours off the event to reduce the workload on distributors and breweries. They also changed the pricing structure to make it more affordable for designated drivers. And there’s a VIP package for those who want to get in an hour early to take first crack at the beers.

Speaking of beers, Lewis has lined up 21 Texas participants, up from 17 last year and including the debut of southeast Texas’ Texas Big Beer Brewery. The number of Texans could rise to as high as 25, further evidence of the expanding craft scene here.

TBF also will feature six firkins filled with special brews from Texas and some other national breweries. In all, there should be about 60 breweries represented. A specialty wall will be open throughout the day, with a rotating selection of special offerings.

Lewis and Wigington dream of building the Texas Beer Fest (more details, ticket info here) into a premier craft-beer destination event that showcases the Texas beer scene and draws people to Texas’ greatest city. Given the knowledge, care and sheer effort they are putting into the project, the 2012 festival promises to be another strong step in that direction.